Guest Blogger: Crystal from The Weekend Homemaker

Hi, I'm Crystal, from The Weekend Homemaker, and I am delighted to be a guest blogger today at House of Turquoise (somebody pinch me!) Erin asked me to share my new home office and I'm really excited to give you the low down on how I turned a rarely used (and poorly decorated) dining room into a space that me and my husband use every day.

We're a family of four living in a smidge less than 2,000 square foot home, meaning space is at a premium. I calculated that in the last two years, our dining room was used maybe three times. In the meantime, my husband and I were taking turns sharing a desk. Hmmm, what's not right about that picture? We finally decided to give up the notion that we were formal dining room kinda people and make use of a great space.

I got busy selling our old dining chairs, desk, desk chair and some bookcases to build up a new office fund. Then, scouring Craigslist, Ikea, Overstock.com, Walmart, and even my own house, I was able to create a great work space for both me and my husband for only an extra $105 out of pocket (in addition to the $740 we made selling our old stuff).

There are so many things I like about this space, I can't choose just one. The curtain fabric was the first thing I bought. I originally had something else in mind but saw this fabric on Young House Love (http://www.younghouselove.com/2011/06/my-babies/) and really loved it.

I was even more thrilled when my go-to paint guy chose Benjamin Moore's Palladian Blue as the perfect complement. I can't tell you how much I love this color. The Palladian Blue paired with the crisp white trim really sets the mood for the space and is a great backdrop for the stark white desks and chairs.

I couldn't be happier with how this room turned out and that it is no longer wasted space. And of course my husband loves that we were able to do it for less than $105 (+ the proceeds from the sale of our old stuff).

Visit my blog, The Weekend Homemaker, to read more about how this space came together and to see my plans for the adjoining 'formal' living room.